The production of economical biofuel remains a challenge for many biorefineries, in part due to the failure of the industry to successfully produce and monetize lignin as a high-value product. Lignin is the second most abundant natural polymer on Earth, contributing as much as 30% of the weight and 40% of the energy content of lignocellulosic biomass, and therefore having a vast potential to replace petroleum based chemicals. Despite these facts, for most biorefineries lignin represents a low value by-product. However, if properly upgraded, lignin can be an additional revenue stream for biorefineries. In fact, Techno-Economic Analyses from NREL suggest that lignin co-products may be essential in meeting the cost target of $3.00 per gallon of gasoline equivalent by 2022. Thus there is a need in the field for methods to upgrade lignin, as well as the upgraded lignin itself, to realize additional revenue streams for lignin that is typically otherwise regarded as a byproduct.